Monday is Newsletter day: backstageclassical.com/klassik-zwis...

Berlin’s culture senator avoids structural reforms while imposing broad funding cuts. Nearly all arts sectors face reductions, risking fewer productions and jobs. backstageclassical.com/berlin-spart...

BIG wins the competition for Hamburg’s new opera at Baakenhöft. The terraced, green design offers public access and new harbor views while enabling a modern opera setup. The Kühne Foundation funds most of the project; two years of planning now follow. backstageclassical.com/so-soll-hamb...

Die neue Ausgabe von »Takt & taktlos« kommt live vom tuned-Festival: Dieses mal debattieren Hannah und ich die Zukunft der Musik mit Elisa Erkelens, Kian Jazdi und Lena Krause. backstageclassical.com/diversitaet-...

First Woman to conduct the Orchestra of Teheran. Dear Paniz Faryousefi,… backstageclassical.com/liebe-paniz-...

Letter to Markus Blume… … backstageclassical.com/lieber-marku...

Brief an Weimars Oberbürgermeister Peter Kleine: backstageclassical.com/lieber-peter...

In Der Reisende Jan Müller-Wieland portrays the tragic fate of a Jewish man in Nazi Germany. At Dresden’s Kulturpalast, Ulrich Noethen and Birgit Minichmayr deliver a moving premiere. backstageclassical.com/mein-leben-f...

Monday is Newsletterday. backstageclassical.com/jodeldiplom-...

The AfD in Weimar is questioning public subsidies for the Deutsches Nationaltheater after Valentin Schwarz, part of its new management team, stated in a BackstageClassical podcast that the house stands for an open democratic order. backstageclassical.com/afd-in-weima...

Lieber Dominique Meyer, … backstageclassical.com/lieber-domin...

Rosalía’s new video Berghain blends pop and classical music with the London Symphony Orchestra. Though stylish and provocative. Pop’s flirtation with classical—from Mercury to the Beatles—has a long, richer history of true innovation. backstageclassical.com/was-der-pop-...

Dear Karoline Edtstadler, … backstageclassical.com/liebe-karoli...

Verdi’s La Forza del Destino in Zurich divided opinions: while the staging by Valentina Carrasco lacked focus and depth, musically it was a triumph. Despite protests against Anna Netrebko’s appearance, her powerful, nuanced Leonora. backstageclassical.com/stuermt-die-...

Monday is Newslettertag! backstageclassical.com/10062-2/

Kassel celebrates its lavish temporary opera house “Das Interim,” built in just sixteen months for €21 million. The premiere of Verdi’s Aida, staged as a cruise on the ship AIDA, turned into chaotic overload. backstageclassical.com/diese-schiff...

Luthiers and musicians warn that Brazil’s plan to ban trade in pernambuco wood at the CITES summit in Samarkand could devastate bow making and historic instruments despite support for forest protection. backstageclassical.com/ueberspannt-...

Ticket sales at Washington’s Kennedy Center have plummeted under Trump’s leadership, with nearly half of seats unsold and major donors withdrawing support due to controversial programming changes. backstageclassical.com/trump-gefaeh...

Dear Wolfram Weimer, … backstageclassical.com/lieber-wolfr...

Letter to Klaus-Michael Kühne… backstageclassical.com/lieber-klaus...

In a statement, the Essen Philharmonic denied responsibility for canceling Clara Iannotta’s violin concerto, saying the decision came from artistic directors, not the musicians, who had sought to perform it. backstageclassical.com/niemand-schu...

Russian exile outlet reports ex-Salzburg drama chief Marina Davydova harshly attacking director Markus Hinterhäuser, alleging narcissistic leadership, conflicts over artistic vision, and mistreatment despite his talent. backstageclassical.com/davydova-ver...

Wolfram Weimer, appointed by Merz, promised balance in culture policy but instead uses it as a stage for conservative identity politics. An Essay. backstageclassical.com/der-konserva...

Dear J.M. Coetzee, … backstageclassical.com/lieber-j-m-c...

Monday. Newsletterday. Montag: Newslettertag. backstageclassical.com/klassik-bess...

The Essen Philharmonic canceled the premiere of Clara Iannotta’s new violin concerto for Carolin Widmann after a musicians’ vote. Conductor Elena Schwarz will not lead the concert. backstageclassical.com/essener-phil...

Seit sechs Jahren leitet Jan Nast die Wiener Symphoniker. Diese Woche feiern sie ihren 125. Geburtstag. Ein Podcast über die Entwicklung eines zeitgemäßen Orchesters. backstageclassical.com/das-moderne-...

Daniel Harding opened Rome’s first Ring in 60 years with a vibrant Walküre. A bold staging, strong cast, and Harding’s masterful conducting made it a thrilling, triumphant night for Wagner in Italy. backstageclassical.com/hardings-wun...

Pianist Shoko Kuroe discusses the growing openness about power abuse in music. She explains why victims need trust, clear contacts, and transparent processes to feel safe seeking help in institutions. backstageclassical.com/anlaufstelle...

Lieber Andrea Bocelli,…. backstageclassical.com/lieber-andre...

Letter to Andreas Babler, who wants to award Teodor Currentzis an order. backstageclassical.com/lieber-andre...

Austrian Vice Chancellor Babler has proposed awarding Teodor Currentzis Austria’s highest cultural honor by admitting him to the “Curia for Art.” The President’s office confirmed receipt of the proposal, surprised to learn of it via media. backstageclassical.com/oesterreich-...

Letter to Harald Schmidt … backstageclassical.com/lieber-haral...

he people of Hamburg may be reluctant to go to the opera – but they certainly have strong opinions. A satirical commentary by Thomas Schmidt-Ott on the counterproductivity of online armchair criticism. backstageclassical.com/die-sofa-int...

Estonian conductor Henri Christofer Aavik wins the €15,000 German Conducting Award 2025 and the Kurt Masur Audience Prize. Luis Toro Araya (Chile) takes 2nd, Friedrich Praetorius (Germany) 3rd place. backstageclassical.com/german-condu...

Letter to François-Xavier Roth: backstageclassical.com/lieber-franc...

From 2026/27, Lucerne Theatre will be jointly led by Katja Langenbach and Wanda Puvogel, succeeding Ina Karr. The board chose the internal duo to continue the theatre’s successful artistic direction. backstageclassical.com/doppelspitze...

Letter to Daniel Barenboim,… backstageclassical.com/lieber-danie...

Opening of the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2025: »75 years of SWR« - the broadcaster celebrated itself while chief conductor François-Xavier Roth faced controversy. Between applause and boos, the music struggled to find space. backstageclassical.com/buhs-fuer-ro...

Dear Anna Netrebko, … backstageclassical.com/liebe-anna-n...

The German Conducting Award is currently taking place in Cologne. Conductor Patrick Lange is on the jury and reports live from the competition. A podcast about the future of the conducting profession backstageclassical.com/junge-dirige...

Letter to … Igor Levit. backstageclassical.com/lieber-igor-...

A former BR employee rescued 175,000 CDs from destruction, hailed as a heroine despite the futility. Critics call CDs obsolete, inferior to LPs and digital formats, noting even labels destroy stock due to costs and the medium’s declining cultural value. backstageclassical.com/cds-zu-rette...

Brief an Kirstin Okerlund…. backstageclassical.com/liebe-kristi...

Montag ist Newsletter-Day: Today about politics, thoughts on GEMA-Gedanken and the OPUS KLASSIK backstageclassical.com/opus-pokus/

Letter to Anu Tali after opus Klassik: backstageclassical.com/liebe-anu-ta...

Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, once childhood friends with pianist Gabriela Montero, has inspired hope in Venezuela’s classical world. Montero, a longtime activist, hailed the award as a chance for national renewal. backstageclassical.com/montero-hoff...

Violinist John Shin, arrested by ICE in August, has been released and will stay in the U.S. The government dropped his deportation case; he’s now eligible for a Green Card within 13–16 months. backstageclassical.com/nach-ice-fes...

In May 2025, the GEMA’s proposed reform to abolish the distinction between serious and popular music failed to gain approval. The debate exposed deep divisions within Germany’s music scene. An essay by composer Moritz Eggert. backstageclassical.com/kulturauftra...

The Bayreuth Festival faces possible insolvency by 2028 due to rising labor costs of €1.2 million annually. Bavaria is willing to help, but federal support remains uncertain. A reform making Bavaria sole owner is under discussion. backstageclassical.com/sind-die-bay...